A Beast's Heart
by Lord Fluffs-a-lot
Summary: THIS IS THE REAL VERSION! Sasuke was doomed from the very beginning, never to find a love. But maybe his heart was exactly where he left it in the first place.


**Omg, I feel so ashamed! I posted the WRONG document! Gah! I'm so sorry! bows I nearly died when I read my reviews, but here ya go! cries and buries self**

Sakura sighed and drew small, lazy circles in the lake water with her toe

Sakura sighed and drew small, lazy circles in the lake water with her toe. This was her second week of isolation and loneliness. Two weeks ago, Naruto left to pursue his "hokage dream". Six weeks ago, they both lost all contact with Sasuke. Nine weeks ago, Kakashi was sent to the other side of Japan to help guard a small village.

She was all alone.

Holding back a yawn, Sakura stretched out on the grass, thankful when her back cracked under the pressure. Concentrating, she stretched back her long, white fingers and was complemented by a satisfactory crack there too.

"So, what's up shadow?" she laughed to herself, surprised by her own silliness. There was nobody there. No one to talk to anymore.

"Nah, nothing new with me," she answered herself, tilting her head to the clear, autumn sky and shivering. "Just another day to me, myself and I. This is something I'll never get used to."

Sakura could almost hear Naruto's booming, unusual laugh and Sasuke's seemingly uninterested snort of disapproval. Boy, if they could see her now. She drew her legs to her chin, tickled at the knees by her pink hair.

Her soft laugher faded into the silence, overcome by the long stretch of water before her. Birds chirped happily above, miniature lake waves splashed her toes with icy, numbing water, and the grass below seemed to sink her into a soft cushion of relaxation. Sakura could almost drown her fears in the peacefulness that seemed to envelop the area.

Almost.

More than being at the lake, more than becoming the strongest, more than winning a million dollars, Sakura wanted to belong. A strange, sense of longing twisted her stomach daily into knots, spiraling her thoughts into one jumbled mess of words that would always manage to shoot out at the wrong time.

"Yup, nothing much!" she said a bit louder, startled at the broken peace. This was just too much. Twisting her body so that she could support her head with her hand, she leaned back on the grass and picked up _Sense and Sensibility_, a book that she borrowed from the nearest town.

Flipping forward a few pages, she smoothed out a crinkly dog-eared page and squinted her eyes in the blinding sun that reflected off of the page. Adjusting quickly, she scanned down to the last paragraph and started reading again.

"_This," said he, "cannot hold; but a change, a total change of sentiments- No, no, do not desire it, for when the romantic refinements of a young mind are obliged to give way, how frequently are they succeeded by such opinions as are but too common, and too dangerous!"_

Groaning, Sakura flipped forward in the book, her brows creased frustration. Noo, this didn't remind her of Sasuke at all! Not a bit. Angry at the super bright pages, she slammed the book shut and threw it a few feet away, collapsing on the ground.

It wasn't like she completely got over Sasuke. It was just that, those few weeks ago, her eyes had been opened as to how blind she was.

He never really needed her in the first place.

Of course, she would always love him and stay worried for him. But that type of love changed. No longer was she the cute fan-girl that chased him around and growled at any other female that tried to look at him. No, she was much stronger now. Sakura changed.

She was pleased with the changes so far.

Peering into the water, a delicate looking young woman with blossomed hair glanced up at her with wide, curious light blue eyes. Her hair had grown out again, now worn in a ponytail most of the time. She had also grown bangs that now framed her tiny face, giving her petite body definition. She had also traded in her usual pink clothes for a light blue yukata that seemed cool to the touch but warm enough to withstand the cold breezes that ruffled her hair into a mess.

"Naruto-chan would be surprised. So would Kakashi-sensei and..and…Sasuke-chan too!" she giggled, pulling herself back from the ledge and resuming her normal stretch on the grassy banks.

She probably would've rolled over _Sense and Sensibility_ if the ant hadn't gotten to her first.

A sharp burn of pain shot through her left index finger, jolting her to her feet. Hissing, she grabbed her finger and pressed right below the red spot until the pain barely subsided.

"It might be poisonous," she winced, peering at her red finger. "Well, its easily manageable!"

Concentrating on that spot on her finger, Sakura flooded it with chakra, forcibly trying to push the venom out. After a few seconds, a drop of clear liquid squeezed out of the minuscule wound indicating her success.

"I win again!" she laughed in relief to her shadow. "I'm glad that Naruto got bitten by a bee when Kakashi was here. I would've never learned!"

Something snorted into her hair, ruffling it.

Suppressing a scream, she tumbled backwards and immediately touched her kunin daggers hidden beneath the hems in her skirt. It was the only weapon she could probably operate, considering that she would probably forget every single jutsu she had just memorized. Peeking up from underneath her long bangs, she was face-to-face with a particularly large black dog with red, glistening eyes.

As large as the biggest Bernard she had ever seen, it resembled a cross between a wolf and a husky. Taunting muscles rippled through its slick, furred form, giving her a small glimpse into its power. But the most daunting thing about it was its crimson eyes that bore into her face with furious concentration, as if it was trying to memorize her whole form. Both caught up in a staring match, Sakura was the first to tear her glaze away, trembling.

"If you're going to eat me, go ahead. Nothing's holding you back," she mumbled, numb from trembling. Still staring at her, the dog yawned, its razor teeth glistening before resting its mighty head on clawed paws.

Her mind immediately switched to hyper-mode, throwing at her many images of the large black dog tearing her poor body up into a million bits, and then having her friends come back and find a million Sakura pieces on the ground.

_I can't die._

_Not yet._

_I have to live._

As if sensing her reaction, the dog sat up, alert. The dog's crimson glare was unnerving, forcing another spasm of tremors to shake her body again. It sat still, unmoving, as a solid statue.

Waiting.

Sakura wasted no time. Ducking down low, she redirected small bursts of chakra to her slender legs and shot forward, a small kunin in her right hand. Her goal was to quickly slash the main artery near the dog's neck, a quick and painless death.

As she neared towards the dog's right side, it growled loudly and twisted away, an amazing and surprisingly graceful move. It blinked curiously as Sakura raced ahead and skidded to a stop.

Cussing into the dirt, she turned back towards the dog and let out a terrifying growl of her own. _That thing is probably thinking of eating me, _she thought ruefully, readjusting her position so that she was face to face with the dog. It was now on all fours, slowly circling around her with long, easy steps. Sakura noticed with a slight shudder how it's claws would contract with each step, a wordless threat as she imagined it ripping her throat out.

The dog barked softly and stopped its pacing. It seemed almost peaceful as it lowered it's ears and lowered it's eyelids, but Sakura knew better than to judge by appearances. It nearly cost her life a few times to let her heart feel for the enemy.

_Come try, I'm unguarded,_ it seemed to say. Sakura nodded at that unspoken invitation and lowered herself to a crouching stance, preparing her already sore calf muscles. The dog had completely shut its eyes.

_One._

_Two._

_Thr-_

Snapping it's eyes open to a crimson glare, it caught her completely off-guard as they both flew at each other. Snarling, it bounced off of the ground and, with sheer force and power, brought her down to the ground with a loud thumping noise.

Sakura shrieked in pain as her backside slapped again a rock on the ground, sharp, burning pain ripping through her whole body. She writhed in pain, almost too numb to feel it. Sakura didn't even notice the dog as it silently stepped off of her contorted body and sat beside her tensely, watching her every move with forever piercing eyes.

When the pain died down to a dull, throbbing ache, she rolled over onto her stomach and pushed upward with her hands into a crouch. Tear burned her eyes again, but she stubbornly blinked them back and scowled. To be killed by a dog? Her death would mock everything that she had been through, everything that she had lived for.

She would not die.

The dog had watched her face twist in furious emotion before being replaced by determination. Something so strong and terrifying, it had the dog bracing itself for the worst. It inhaled and held its breath.

Sakura pretended not to notice the warm liquid running down her backside, pretended not to notice that her vision was blackening. Her world was spinning, but she held on to consciousness with her fingernails.

"I'm not giving on anytime soon," she mumbled, her words slurring. Her head started to nod.

The dog stiffened in anger and howled, a sound filled with so much pain and horror, it had Sakura snapping her eyes on more time before her knees started to buckle. Her limp body sunk to the soft grass, welcoming and warm.

The last thing she saw was crimson eyes peering down at her, so familiar at that moment. They looked so much like….

"I've won Sasuke. I've won."

OoO

Sakura cringed at the light that filtered painfully through her thin eyelids. She waved a sore arm in the air before landing her hand on something soft and feathery. Consciousness suddenly overtook her mind and she peeled her eyelids back to expose a clear blue sky.

"Waghn." Her plea for water scratched her throat, causing her to wonder how long she had been out. Her body was carefully laid out on the same, soft grass that she had fought on….

Wait.

Sakura sat up, despite the protesting pain in her back, and scanned the area for any dark, mysterious, dangerous-looking dog. It was the same as ever, the water gurgling happily as if to remind her that she was still alive.

Behind her, a dark shadow shifted it's weight and grunted.

Too tired to jump up, Sakura fell on her back and clutched the grass, pressing her aching back against the ground. Crimson eyes peered over her head, blocking out some of the sunlight that had burned her eyes. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and waited.

"Go on and kill me now. I give up."

"Pathetic." And then the light started filtering back through her eyelids. Sakura nearly popped her eyes out at the sound of another human voice.

A voice so deep, dark and clearly masculine.

"Sasuke!" Sakura croaked, the dryness itching her throat again. Her body twitched involuntarily, searching for the boy that was not there. Her arms flailed uselessly in the air. Instead, she grabbed fur.

Shrieking, she pushed against the dog, her fingers clamping against the rock-hard muscle. The dog growled warningly and tensed. Sakura, realizing her mistake, dropped her hand and hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry. It's just that… I'm hearing things," she said softly, surprised that she was talking to a dog. There was no doubt in her mind that this seemingly vicious creature would not harm her for the meantime. It could've finished her off right there and then. However, that was a status that she wished to remain unchanged. The dog cocked his head curiously and slowly lowered its great body as if ready to hear a story. It rested its massive head against its front paws and stared at her.

"I've been alone for so long. I don't know what came over me," she began, looking sideways at the lake, her eyes somewhere else. Suddenly, she laughed softly, slicing through the silence. The dog's ears swiveled towards her and twitched.

Sakura sighed and looked up at the sky absentmindedly. The creature beside her never took its eyes off of her. Somehow, the blueness seemed brighter, more hopeful.

"It's nice today, huh?" she whispered. The dog snorted and turned its large head away. He reminded her so much of Sasuke. At the thought of him, her world reverted back to its grey color. It was of no use.

Sakura slowly crawled to her feet, stretching her long legs. It seemed as if she had been motionless for a long time. She peered at the statue-like dog still at her feet and smiled. It was nice to have a few things out there that wouldn't hurt her. As if it was called, it looked up without moving. Asking her for something behind the red eyes.

"I'm going to call you Sasuke," Sakura giggled finally, bending down. Her hand hovered over "Sasuke's" soft fur for a moment before resting gently on his head. "Thank you. For trusting me."

At this, Sasuke jerked, lurching forward and taking Sakura by surprise. Tearing past the field, he was soon gone over the waving hills. Blinking, she fell back, whimpering as her back popped in pain. "Wait!" That single word croaked in her throat, a hollow empty sound. There was no feeling in her body anymore, only a deep, black regret.

"Don't leave me!"

OoOOoO

It had been a month since "Sasuke" had appeared. Thinking about the strange canine helped relieve the pain of loneliness, but never the tearing feeling in the pit of her stomach that shrunk into a small, burning coal.

Sakura sighed and pushed back a loose strand of hair that had managed to free itself from her messy ponytail. The clothes just weren't cooperating. She had scrubbed them over and over again, but the stains on them wouldn't go away. Groaning in disgust, she threw them back into the tub, splashing dirty water on her apron.

The solitary cabin that she now occupied was abandoned by its previous owner during the last Akatsuki terror. Even though that threat was now gone, the owner's had been long gone. The perfect 1st home for Sakura Haruno.

The sunlight filtered through the green leaves overhead, casting weird shadows on her pale skin. Sakura was exhausted. 5 hours of housework could do that to a person.

"I deserve a walk," she sighed, wiping her forehead. Her house had been cleaned spotless in her boredom.

"You'll get sick if you keep working this hard," a low voice muttered behind her. Sakura shrieked at the broken silence and leapt forward, upsetting the bucket of water and clothes. Damp mud slopped around her body, half-burying her. She gasped for air and pulled away before she was totally buried. Sakura sucked in a deep breath of air and peeked behind her.

Sitting patiently was a certain black dog, snorting. Sakura squealed in joy and tackled Sasuke who could only yelp in surprise. She held him to the ground for a moment before regaining her composure and jumping off of him. Sauske growled and slowly got to his feet again.

"I'm, uh, sorry. I was just…just…." Her voice faded and she glared at him. He looked thinner, deprived. Although he was still very muscular and huge, his ribs poked out from his sides and his legs slightly shook under his weight.

"You're sick," she whispered, reaching out to him. He turned away stubbornly.

"I don't need your help," he growled in his low voice. Sakura's mouth shut in an audible snap.

"Y-you just…"

"Yeah. I can talk," Sasuke sniffed, sitting down again.

_No._

"Your voice. Its so….familiar." Hearing human words from another being seemed weird after being alone for so long. Sakura shook her head quickly. "No. No! Now I'm really crazy."

"Crazy, huh? I already knew that, Sakura."

_It can't be._

"Sasuke, what have they done to you?" She couldn't stop herself from fainting this time as everything blackened out.

OoOOoO

"You keep fainting on me. It gets annoying after a while," a gruff voice penetrated her consciousness. Sakura cracked opened an eye and slowly sat up. Sasuke was still staring at her with the same peering eyes.

"You're still here!" she gasped. It was like she was still in a dream. He "hmpfed" and looked away.

"I couldn't just let you lie there pathetically as the vultures started eating you alive."

"What kind of jutsu did they use on you? Who did this to you?" Her voice grew louder at every word that shot out her mouth. Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes.

"It was my fault."

Sakura was numb, staring at him with wide eyes. She had already trained herself to deal with the fact that she would never see him again. But now that he was really here, she didn't know what to do.

"Sasuke, why did you come back?" That sentence stung the air for a second.

"I was cursed," he said finally, ignoring her question. "It was from a long time ago. This curse that Orochimaru placed upon me," Sasuke tilted his head for emphasis, "only started the trigger."

"Trigger?" she whispered, breathless. Did Sasuke really have a hidden curse from the beginning?

"My family was cursed a long time ago. My great great great great grandfather fell in love with an elemental, a goddess from the earth. He was foolish enough to do that, but was even a bigger fool to reject her for a baker's daughter."

"She cursed him. So why did you-"

"She cursed the first boy that would be born." His voice lowered to a soft chant. "'The first male from the fruit of your family line will be reduced to all fours until the day of his passing. Until he can find his heart will he be affected until the day that he dies.'"

Those words sent chills down her spine and goose bumps on her arms. Although his story was sad, what really affected her most was the elemental part. How could he have left her if he really did love her?

"Why didn't Itachi get it?"

Sasuke barked out harsh laughs. "He had another elemental cure him. He was afraid that the clan would see him reduced to this. So….." he stopped for a moment, choked. "Because he stopped the curse, he was not affected at all. But it passed down to the next boy that was born."

Sakura wasn't even really listening. Sasuke was in pain. That was the only thing that rung inside her mind right now. Everything, her pain, her loneliness, her crushing defeat in life, it didn't matter. All that mattered now was that Sasuke was in pain and he wanted her to help him.

His pain. Wasn't that what made him leave in the first place? It made everything close to her hurt. Sakura would make it go away.

"I can be with you. I can be your heart," she said firmly, not even stopping to think about it. Sasuke twitched and stiffened.

"No. I don't want to be with you." He was starting to get to his feet, his eyes widened.

"Please! I don't you to be hurt!" she begged, her hand reaching out towards him. He growled threatening and she drew back. "Why did you come to me in the first place?"

"Because I thought….that I could…." He cut his words off with a howl of pure anguish, smashing his head against the tree trunk. It was such a terrifying sight that Sakura drew back in horror.

"I don't want to hurt you!" he roared. His body tensed, ready to make a run for it. Pale, thin arms wrapped around his neck as Sakura buried her face into his fur, sobbing quietly. He never relaxed his position.

"Sasuke, don't leave. Please stay with me," she murmured.

"I don't want my life to be with you," he growled between clenched teeth. The arms didn't loosen.

"I want to be with you. I don't want to see you sad!"

"WHY?!" he barked loudly. Sakura shook.

"Where is that boy that I admired so long ago? You were so strong! I loved you then! You never gave up and you believed. You kept us all strong. Where is that boy?" Her hands clenched his fur tighter. "Bring him back because I love him."

The dog under him shook violently. Sakura gasped as his body suddenly started twisting and growing, but she never let go. Fur shrunk into skin, claws shortened into fingernails and hair grew longer at the scalp. The dog in her arms was suddenly replaced by a man. His human arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace.

"You can't deny your heart its place in your life," he whispered in her ear. Sakura pushed him back to arm's length and peered at him. Clothed in the usual dark clothes that he was known best for, he was exactly a snapshot out of her memory. He pulled her back into his tight hug. Sakura started crying again, her tears wetting his shirt.

"Why am I your heart?"

"I couldn't bear to see you sad. I wanted to comfort you, but I was afraid that you'd be afraid of me in that form."

"Like Beauty and the Beast," she laughed.

"Exactly. And when you fainted, I thought that my life would end. I thought that I had killed you. You seemed so fragile in my claws."

Sakura smiled into his chest and reached out for his hand. She held it up to his face and traced his fingers.

"Look. You aren't a monster anymore. You were human the whole time." She kissed his palm and sighed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither. I sorry that you had to wait for me."

"No. My heart is where it belongs." Sakura collapsed against his chest again, listening to the beating of his heart, each reminding of her disappeared loneliness and found love.


End file.
